PM Lee, President Jokowi plant tree to mark 50 years of bilateral ties

SINGAPORE: Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday (Sep 7) planted a tree at the Singapore Botanic Gardens as part of celebrations to mark 50 years of bilateral ties.

Both leaders planted a Sunda oak tree, dubbed the “RISING tree”, in the Gardens’ Learning Forest on Thursday morning. The tree is native to both Singapore and Indonesia, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) issued on Tuesday.

Mr and Mrs Lee also hosted President Widodo and First Lady Iriana to a breakfast of nasi lemak at the Gardens.

President Joko Widodo and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong unveiled the new stamps as part of the 2017 Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat.

Mr Widodo is in Singapore for the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Retreat with Mr Lee. During the retreat, the leaders will exchange views on regional and international developments, review the progress of bilateral relations and explore new areas for cooperation across multiple sectors, including in economic collaboration, security cooperation and cultural exchanges, PMO said.

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Both leaders also signed several agreements in the areas of education and infrastructure.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Indonesian Air Force will hold a joint flypast, as well as a combined military band performance at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore.

The F-16s from RSAF and TNI-AU training to form the ’50’ for the upcoming RISING50 flypast on Sep 7. (Photo: MINDEF)

The celebration of 50 years of diplomatic ties between both countries is known as RISING50, an amalgamation of “RI” for the Republic of Indonesia and “SING” for Singapore.